Tesla is considering building a lithium refinery on the coast of the Texas Gulf as it seeks to secure supplies of the key component used in batteries amid growing demand for electric vehicles.
The potential battery-powered lithium hydroxide refining facility, which Tesla touted as the first of its kind in North America, will process “ore feedstock in a usable state for battery production,” the company said in an order. submitted to the Texas Comptroller’s Office.
The decision to invest in the US state will also be based on the ability to obtain tax breaks on local ownership, Tesla said.
The automaker’s chief executive, Elon Musk, previously said the company may have to enter the mining and refining industry directly at scale as lithium prices rise.
If approved, construction could begin in the fourth quarter of 2022 and reach commercial production by the end of 2024, Tesla said in the Aug. 22 order.
Under the plan, Tesla will ship the final product from the refinery via trucks and trains to various Tesla battery manufacturing sites.
The automaker also said it will use less hazardous reagents and create usable by-products, compared to the conventional process.
Source: CNN Brasil
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